Motion-Synthesis Techniques for 2D Articulated Figures

In this paper we extend previous work on automatic motion synthesis for physically realistic 2D articulated figures in three ways. First, we describe an improved motion-synthesis algorithm that runs substantially faster than previously reported algorithms. Second, we present two new techniques for influencing the style of the motions generated by the algorithm. These techniques can be used by an animator to achieve a desired movement style, or they can be used to guarantee variety in the motions synthesized over several runs of the algorithm. Finally, we describe an animation editor that supports the interactive concatenation of existing, automatically generated motion controllers to produce complex, composite trajectories. Taken together, these results suggest how a usable, useful system for articulated-figure motion synthesis might be developed. CR Categories: I.2.6 [Artificial Intelligence]: Learning— parameter learning. I.2.6 [Artificial Intelligence]: Problem Solving, Control Methods and Search—heuristic methods. I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism— animation. I.6.3 [Simulation and Modeling]: Applications. Additional